episode_0292

* * *

“Well, that’s good. First, let me ask you the first question―”

The first question I asked Serpina was how to invade.

Serpina explained her thoughts slowly and without hesitation.

“The number of troops is about 180,000. The commander-in-chief is Crancys, and the adjutant is Irene.”

“That’s right.”

“What about siege weapons?”

“I plan to take care of it. Aren’t you going to do a small sit-in?”

Yes. If you think about it logically, they will hold out. Around 20,000 people, led by Chell, could come out, but they would eventually be pushed back by the number of troops. In order to hold out for even one more day, it would be advantageous to quickly deal with the siege weapons and lock the gates.

―That was common sense until today.

but.

“My lord. Isn’t there something you are intentionally leaving out?”

“… … !”

Serpina was startled by my words, then smiled bitterly and said:

“You’re talking about Reika, right?”

“If there is a wizard, the enemy side is likely to respond in a slightly different way. It is bound to be an unexpected variable.”

“Well, I don’t know. For me.”

“Is there a reason?”

Serpina looked very surprised.

“Looking at you asking like that, it seems like Reika didn’t tell you.”

“… … Yes?”

“It happened not long after I returned from the relief camp. Reika collapsed while working at the library as usual.”

……what?

As I was surprised by the news I was hearing for the first time, Serpina continued her explanation to me.

“I was able to find him quickly because I happened to be inspecting the area. He was breathing heavily and was sweating coldly. As if he was sick.”

“Has something like that… happened?”

“Yeah. She didn’t show it, but I could tell. That it was a side effect of using magic. Because the symptoms were similar to what I had after she cured me. ”

no……

It was fine until I got on the carriage, but why did I collapse only when I got to Eingart Castle?

―At that moment, she realizes that the magic she used at the relief camp was, as she explains it, a buff magic that ‘could make you healthier’.

‘no way……!’

Did you cast a buff spell on yourself while returning to hide the fact that you were being unreasonable?

The side effects of depleted mana have been pushed back that much?

It’s a bit of an extreme example, but if you think about it that way, it makes sense.

“Swen. I have no idea what Open Mana is, or how magic works. But I know that it’s eating away at her lifespan. If I close my eyes and borrow her power, I might be able to win the battles that come. But―”

-I don’t want to do that.

I don’t want to step on her sacrifice as a rock and climb up.

“My lord… … .”

“That’s why I had no intention of hiring a wizard.”

As I watch her say that, a corner of my heart starts to tingle again.

What on earth is this feeling?

Seeing someone so seriously face a goal that they could never achieve no matter how hard they struggled… … Honestly, it was not something a person should do.

The same goes for Reika.

No matter how much I didn’t want to worry you, it was difficult to hide such an important fact like that.

The problem wasn’t simply that the wizard was wrong. I didn’t want to lose Reika.

“… … I understand your will, my lord. And I agree with it. However, I think you also know that your will is the most important thing in the Q&A we are going to have from now on. ”

“That’s right. What your inner eye discerns will ultimately be the path to truth.”

“So, here, please ‘decide’ only as I say, rather than according to your will. Because this is a task to confirm the future of your decision.”

I ask the ruler of a country to decide as I say.

Although it may sound extremely rude, Serpina nodded in a very polite tone.

And then-

As if he had no intention of losing to me, who had said such shameless things, he said such embarrassing things so nonchalantly.

“Okay, Swen.”

“Yeoui’s body and mind will be determined by your will. Whatever you command, I will absolutely obey from the depths of my heart. Give me instructions.”

‘… … !’

Is it because the words are so explicit?

I was speechless for a moment and could only swallow my saliva.

She spoke with such a serious expression that I knew it wasn’t one of her usual ‘jokes’.

Rather, there was something about it that touched people’s hearts because it was serious.

Suddenly, my eyes began to catch sight of her huge breasts, which she usually tries hard not to notice.

It wasn’t just her breasts. Her beautiful face, her golden eyes, her pink lips, and the scent of yuzu that brought it all together—not Serpina as a monarch, but Serpina as a woman began to shake my mind rapidly.

‘No, I… …Why am I like this these days?’

Ever since I kissed Irene a while ago… … I’ve had trouble sleeping these past few days because I keep thinking about her.

I wonder if it’s piled up in various ways.

Of course, even if it was a desire, it was a problem that could have been dealt with quietly on my own…

What do I want now, I keep thinking… … ‘It’s a shame’―

“… … Swen?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Is something wrong? The future that Sim-an sees is not good… … .”

Serpina’s words made me quickly regain my senses, which had almost slipped away for a moment.

Yeah. Now is not the time to think about women.

“… … Anyway, would you consider letting Reika-san join the battle this time?”

“Okay.”

I typed the same question again.

[The battle itself will be won.]

‘It’s the same.’

The participation of the wizard or not will not affect the outcome.

After that, I made Serpina aware of various situations and asked her the same questions over and over again, endlessly producing results.

There are things like changing the commander or changing the lineup of each participating weapon, right?

So I kept injecting various situations to get the best possible conclusion –

The answer, [the battle itself will be won], never changed.

‘… … What is this? What did Chel prepare to get results like this?’

Does that mean that no matter how our military responds, nothing will change?

Or maybe I’m missing something… …

“Swen.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“You clearly said that it was true that we won, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then why do you keep asking questions? It seems to me that all your questions are just to find a way to win because our army can’t win… … .”

Since it had come to this, I just explained the situation honestly to Serpina.

“I see. Even though we won, there is a possibility that our military may suffer losses… … .”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“… … suffer a loss, ra.”

Serpina rested her chin on her hand for a moment, lost in thought.

“Why don’t we first think about what our military’s losses will be?”

……uh?

“Even if we lose the battle, if we think about what kind of damage Chel Brands can do to our army, wouldn’t we be able to find the answer there?”

“… … Are you sure about that?”

No, if you think about it a little, it’s not a difficult conclusion to come to-

From the perspective of asking questions directly, I seemed to have been too immersed in the method of inferring the causal relationship of the conclusion through questions.

“Thank you. I feel this way every time, but Serpina and I are more compatible than I thought.”

“It’s disappointing that you’ve only just realized such an obvious fact.”

Serpina’s smirking appearance definitely had a domineering side, but it was still cute in its own way.

“Then what losses will our military suffer?”

“You could think of one of the commanders dying, or losing the battle exchange rate.”

“The commander won’t die. I kept going through the list, but the result was the same. If there was a ‘death person’, I think the conclusion would have changed the moment that person was excluded. ”

“Then there is only one thing left.”

Our army is suffering too many losses and is being subdued?

But with this level of troop difference, if we assume the enemy is sieging, it is hard to see a picture of our side being defeated with great losses…

‘Huh?’

At that moment, a sentence flashed through my mind.

“The enemy… … might not even hold a sit-in.”

“What?”

“Instead of holding a sit-in, wouldn’t it be better to just… … intercept them?”

“Are you saying that Chel is giving up the castle that she is the only one occupying with her own hands?”

“Yes, but if we assume that our military suffers damage in an ‘unexpected’ situation, nothing else comes to mind.”

Because it was too unrealistic for a wizard to suddenly appear from that side or something.

“… … Well, if he was going to set fire to his territory and run away, then it would be as if he had no desires as a lord at all… … But even so, I still have a question.”

“If you make that decision as you say, why? Just because you hate women? Chell Burns is a great general. If there is no ‘reason to do so’, he would not do something so reckless.”

Well, from Chel’s perspective, the decision to abandon the castle and intercept everything was tantamount to suicide.

From our military’s perspective, we will lose more soldiers. All the siege weapons we prepared will be destroyed.

The first thing that comes to mind is my hatred for Serpina.

In the first place, all the lords of the continent raised their flags because they could not follow Serpina.

It meant that it wasn’t that logically strange to decide to somehow hit her before dying.

But is that really all?

Is that the only reason why it moves that way?

In order to formulate an operation, you had to be ‘confident’ that you had identified the enemy… … but it felt like that was lacking.

……okay.

This time, let’s think from Chel’s perspective.

If it was necessary to bring out troops, what would be the reason?

–ah.

“Did you realize something, Swen?”

“This is just a case, but if the enemy recognizes Reika-san… …that is, the magician-”

“… … !”

“If we were to be defeated by the wizards anyways even if we held out… … I thought that bringing out the interception force might feel like a rational act rather than suicidal.”

No matter how many times I thought about it, that was the only conclusion I could come to.

To intercept and catch our troops off guard before they are attacked by the wizard.

“This time, you seem more confident?”

“… … Yes.”

“Then I ask again. Do you think we will win this battle?”

And the answer that came to my mind was――

* * *

Chell, who was taken by surprise, quickly grasped the situation by barely being able to see Swen’s face standing in front of her.

Why is this person here?

That too… …with a pink-haired woman who is supposed to be a wizard?

Swish!

At the same time that the green rapier was pulled out from Chell’s chest-

From the crack in the burnt wound, red blood spurts out like a waterfall.

And then, with a thud, he fell off his horse… …

With a trembling voice, barely holding on to consciousness that seemed like it would break at any moment-

“This, this is… … what the… … .”

……no.

That’s not the point.

The important thing was not that he had been literally beaten by Swen.

So, the whole reason I followed Irene to come here… …

“Everything… …was played around in your hands… …?”

Chel looks into Swen’s empty gray eyes, which look down at her without answering, and becomes aware of it.

The fear that his sister, Lynn Bruns, must have felt at some point towards this man.